Medical social worker job description
This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Medical social worker in details. A complete...
https://teachingtips247.blogspot.com/2013/07/medical-social-worker-job-description.html
This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Medical social worker in details. A complete job description concludes Medical social worker key duties/responsibilities, Medical social worker job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…
I. List of Medical social worker duties:
1. Provides social casework as an entity, where appropriate, to individuals and families receiving nursing or other services from the Agency.
2. Prepares social histories according to specific guidelines to augment existing service or as a guide in determining or changing level of service taking into consideration:
3. Assesses, when appropriate, a family's financial situation taking into consideration the patient's prognosis and medical needs, and referring to an Agency for financial assistance if indicated, interpreting the medical situation to the referring Agency and generally facilitating the process of referral.
4. Refers patients and families to community agencies with appropriate follow-up.
5. Interprets social resources to staff and health services to special agencies.
6. Assists the physician and other team members in understanding the significant social and emotional factors related to the health programs.
7. Participates in the development of the plan of treatment.
8. Observes, records, and reports information on the patient's condition to the attending physician and in the patient's health record.
9. Advises, counsels, and when appropriate, instructs the family in the patient's social needs.
10. Participates in discharge planning.
II. List of Medical social worker qualifications
1. Knowledge of social work as normally acquired through completion of a Master's Degree in Social Work from an accredited college or university.
2. Licensure as a Master’s Social Worker in the State of Michigan
3. Training and experience, and/or demonstrated competency in casework principles, including diagnosis, assessment, crisis intervention, treatment and transition planning; techniques in individual, family and group therapy; awareness of community resources, public assistance and entitlement programs, ensuring transition to appropriate levels of care; and issues relating to age and stage of development, special needs and cultural patterns of the patient populations being served. Experience with Oncology patients is preferred.
4. Knowledge of medical social work practices, processes and procedures as normally acquired through three years’ experience working in a hospital (preferred), social agency or community organization dealing with physical and/or mental health and/or welfare.
5. Interpersonal skills needed to communicate successfully with individuals and groups and interact with people at all levels to communicate ideas and concepts in a clear and understandable manner.
6. Adherence to the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics.
7. Membership in at least one professional organization (i.e. NASW, SSWLHC-MI Chapter, national SSWLHC, etc.)
III. Tips to write job description
1. Too-long job description:
Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.
2. Too-short job description:
While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.
3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:
Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.
4. Key functions
Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.
5. Grammar and spelling
Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.
6. Not specific enough:
Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.
7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:
This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.
8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:
In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.
9. Using slang or legal words:
Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.
10. Not updating the job description:
The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.
